The Great Pokemon Adventure
by UnsungMelody2209
Summary: Summary inside. I wouldn't be able to write a complete summary here and I just can't handle that. So please take time to read the summary and if it intrigues you then please feel free to read the chapter lol:) also remember to comment about what you think. Please and thank you.
1. Chapter 1: Cardinal System A1

**Summary: **7 years after the incident of Sword Art Online and 5 years after the kidnappings in Alfheim Online young, 16 year old Tokibi Himura gets the chance to BETA test a new game, Created by the prodigy son of Akihiko Kayaba, Hiroto Kayaba. Set to make the new standard in the future of gaming, he surpasses the technological advances of his father to create a better way of gaming. Will this just be a repeat of the past, or a step to a better better future? how will his relationship with his dandere sister Mei Himura, who is not really his sister, and the tsundere Angel grow? What happens when more -dere's are thrown into the harem mix? Please read and find out ;) Please leave a comment about your opinion of the story. **This is not a SAO/Pokémon crossover. I am just using the VRMMORPG platform from SAO but it will have my own OC's and be completely about Pokémon. *Notes about certain Japanese terms will be at the bottom of the story in case you are not familiar with some Japanese culture or honorific terms. **

**Breaks in the page will be used for imaginary events**

**italicize will be used for thoughts or for PM. it will be clear which i use.**

**Bold for announcements or for shouting. **

Chapter 1: Cardinal System A1

It's dark. Everything is covered in black smoke and the swirling fog muffles the distant echoes trying to permeate his ears. His brain works sluggishly, trying to process the information his ears were trying to communicate. All he can make out was pieces of a word. Someone was calling to him, a familiar soft-spoken voice. But who was it? He couldn't remember. The sound seemed to get further and further away. His mind too sluggish to comprehend, felt fear of loosing the speaker but unsure of who it was.

"To…bi"

There it was again. It was drifting further, becoming quieter echoes through the static. He tried to focus on the familiar sound, forcing his brain to pick up its processing power. The thick black fog started to dissipate. The sounds were becoming clearer.

"Toki…bi...chan"

Was it his name being called through the static? Suddenly another voice appeared. This voice brought more fear upon being heard than he had from the thought of loosing the soft, gentle voice he first heard.

"Oh for goodness sake" screamed the terrifying voice.

Immeasurable pain shocked Tokibi awake and the impenetrable darkness was flooded by bright white light.

"OW! Dammit! Is that anyway to wake someone up" Tokibi yelled as he grabbed his face and massaged it to soothed the burning sensation across his left cheek.

Tokibi blinked his eyes a couple times so his eyes would adjust to the light and he seen two girls standing in his room. The older of the two, with the celebratory smile and her arm raised incase she wanted to deal another wake up slap, was standing on top of his bed and the other younger girl was hiding at the doorway of his room with only her top torso showing from behind the door.

The older one on his bed always wore a long button up coat with shoulder pads to show a more aggressive form of apparel. She likes to be controlling and feared so she dressed like it. She had long blonde, almost gold hair tied up into two ponytails on the sides of her head to give her waist length pigtails. She has very sharp features and defined jaw line for a girl of her age that gives her a more respect demanding appearance, regardless of her short stature of 5'5". She has brilliant light blue, azure eyes. She had a perfect smile probably due to dental work. She would be considered a heart breaker and she had a lot of fans from school for her beautiful appearance and strict, dominating nature.

The red long sleeve coat was embellished with dozens of gold buttons, two on each of her shoulder pads and one on each sleeve, the others trailed all the way down her coat leading to her blue knee length wavy skirt. She also had on a darker blue calf high socks that had a yellow smiley face on the front of the socks, but instead of two black dots where the eyes were supposed to be, in its place where two x's to make it seem KO'd. She also had on dark blue traditional school shoes that were mandatory as part of her uniform. She was also a well-endowed girl and was only a year below Tokibi in his high school.

The girl hiding halfway behind the door was his sister. Actually, it wasn't really his sister. She was his cousin but her parents had a tragic death when she was just an infant. So, she grew up thinking that Tokibi was her brother. She was slightly shorter than her friend at 5'3". She was wearing her school uniform as well but she was two years younger than Tokibi so she was currently studying for her entrance exams because she wants to enter the same high school as Tokibi and her best friend.

She is dressed in her traditional school uniform of a white V-neck short-sleeved coat with a blue bow tie around her neck. The over shirt has red accents on the flaps of the button up part of the shirt. She has to wear a short blue skirt that reaches the middle of her thighs and short white socks with black traditional school shoes. She had short light brown hair tied back into one braided ponytail that extended just below her shoulder line. She had vivid green eyes and a pretty, rounded face that reinforced her younger age. She was still very pretty and was also very coveted by her male classmates and even the older male school students that are in Tokibi's high school when she goes to visit Tokibi. But due to her shy and timid nature, she is usually frightened by the hormonal attention when she enters the school, which seems to make her even more appealing to them.

"Well you sure as hell won't get up with her whispering to you from across the room." The older girl, yet still younger than Tokibi, pointed at the younger girl crouching in a corner. "All she does is crack open your door and whisper your name trying to get you to wake up. We all know you sleep like stone, so my way is the fastest way to get you up." Grinned the girl triumphantly; as if slapping someone awake was a huge achievement.

"I thought I made a rule saying that you were no longer allowed in my room, Angel." Tokibi said remembering that it wasn't the first time she welcomed him to a rude awakening.

"Oh come on. The pile driver from last time reached a 10/10 on the score boards." Angel said with a big smile.

"Mei gives anyone a 10/10 when they do anything cuz she is really shy and sweet." Exclaimed Tokibi.

Mei became really flushed at the sound of her name and decided to rush out of the door to be away from their line of sight.

"Yea she is awfully shy. You guys are brother and sister and she can still barely hold a conversation with you without becoming flustered and timid." Angel said with a sigh. "She is going to get eaten up alive in high school by those hormone-crazed boys if she doesn't toughen up."

"Isn't that why she has you, Angel?" Tokibi asked rhetorically. "I think she will be fine if you are there for her. You're all she has you know, she is not good at making new friends."

"Don't forget she has you too, Tokibi." Angel said with a sly smile.

"Yea you are right. She is my sister after all. I'll try to keep the boys off her when she finally gets in." Tokibi laughed.

A quiet whisper comes from the hallway. With out a doubt, it was Mei.

"Umm… guys… can you, I mean if you don't mind, uh, try to hurry up please? Its not that I'm rushing you or anything, cuz I would never do that… it's just, umm, we might be late for school… if you don't mind."

"Okay I'll be right down. Angel please can you leave my room?" Tokibi asked. He was returned with an angry scowl from Angel.

"Don't tell me what to do. But I'm bored here anyway." She then proceeded to use Tokibi's stomach as a trampoline and catapulted off the bed and out the door.

Tokibi was left gasping from air and clutching his stomach. "Damn, how can such a small woman be so heavy and act so assertive?" He mumbled to himself. He immediately regretted saying that.

He heard a voice from downstairs yell up in anger "What did you just say, punk?"

"Nothing!" Tokibi called back in fear for his physical wellbeing.

He got off his bed and stretched his drowsy muscles. He then walked to the mirror to examine himself. He was slightly above average height at an even 6 feet. He had pretty well build due to his after school activity of track and field. He had medium length dirty blonde hair that, if wet, would droop over his deep blue eyes. He was often fawned over by girls for his attractive and unique appearance and mysterious and laid back personality. He had a four-inch scar that ran from his back to the side of his lower ribcage. He quickly pulled on a white buttoned up long sleeve shirt to conceal his scar. He put on his dark blue pants followed by white socks and black shoes. He buttoned up his shirt up until the last two buttons that he left open to expose his defined collar bones and the dip in his throat where his neck met his chest. He then rolled up the sleeves up to the crease of his elbow so his forearms were uncovered. After getting dressed, he grabbed his bag and walked downstairs to where his sister and her friend were waiting. They sat at a traditional Japanese table, called a kotatsu, with a blue futon cover. The girls stood up as he entered the room.

"Good morning Mei and Angel. You ready?" Tokibi asked looking at the two girls who were clearly waiting on him.

"Duh. You're the slow one that we have to wait on every morning." Angel said crudely.

Mei just nodded and continued to look at the floor as to not meet Tokibi's gaze. They then set out to school. It wasn't a very far walk and Mei's school was closer than Tokibi and Angel's school so she would depart first.

"By the way. Where are you parents? I have never seen them and I have been over hundreds of times. Do they ever come home?" Angel asked.

"No. Well it's only our mother. Our father died from a work accident when I was 7. Since then, we have won a settlement from the business to pay our family installments of money from the settlements every month. Though we won a lot of money from the settlement, the installments aren't that much so our mom has to continue working. She is a business executive for Nintendo, the largest videogame company in the world, and works over in the Americas. So, she hardly can come home and when she does, it is for a brief visit. We talk to her often through electronic projection, but because we live on opposite ends of the world when she is just barely getting up we are almost going to sleep. But she gets paid well and sends us a lucrative allowance that allows us to live by ourselves." Tokibi explains.

"Wow. So that's how you guys have so many cool things." Angel responds in awe. "I think I'm going to start staying at your guys house. Since I am orphaned and the government pays for my living quarters and food, I don't even need to ask for parents permission." She laughed, but Tokibi could sense a little sadness behind her joking humor.

"Absolutely not! I don't need an abusive girl living with us. Who knows what effects that would have on Mei? She will probably become mean and dictator-ish like you!" Tokibi exclaimed.

"Well its one against one. Looks like Mei will be the decider." Angel said

"That's not even fair! You shouldn't get a vote cuz you're not part of the family."

"Umm… Toki-nisan. If you don't mind too much… maybe it would be kind of nice." Mei whispered. "I mean that's if its ok. The more the merrier after all." She said as she raised her hands in defense.

Tokibi was surprised that Mei actually spoke up to help Angel. So, he decided to agree, what's the worst that could happen… Then images of Tokibi being put into life threatening headlocks and painful arm submissions appeared in his head. His imagination grew wilder as he imagined him wearing a maid uniform scrubbing the ground, as Angel stood on top of him in full latex laughing maniacally while cracking a whip, and Mei stood, with the same apparel and same maniacal smile, holding a paddle and making a loud slap sound as she patted it against her hand in a threatening manner.

Tokibi grew pale and immediately regretted his decision. He was snapped out of his demented imagination as Mei whispered goodbye. He then realized that they reached her school and it was time for them to part ways.

Angel and Tokibi waved goodbye and wished her luck as they continued walking to their school, which was only another 5 minutes walking down the road.

The rest of the walk consisted of Angel teasing and threatening Tokibi on their new living situation. It couldn't be helped, if Mei cared enough to speak up then it must be something she really wanted. She was always so quiet and never took sides in an argument. She barely ever talked and that is why she doesn't have friends, except for Angel. With a sigh, Tokibi accepted the idea of living with Angel.

They finally reached the school and Tokibi heard someone shout his name loudly and the sound of heavy sprinting footsteps quickly approaching. The figure was so fast it was appearing as a blur along the crowds of students. Tokibi could make out a black haired figure just slightly shorter than himself rushing towards him. Tokibi's stomach started to sink.

"Toooooooo-kiiiiiiiiii-" and with a giant lunge in the air, the speedy figure crashed into Tokibi "biiiii!"

"God dammit Masashi" Tokibi grumbled as he struggled to get up and dust himself off. That was just like Masashi to be the exact opposite of his name, which means elegant.

"Sorry I can't help myself. I get so jealous when I see you with Angel-sama. You should talk to her about me and get her to date me" Masashi whispers as he gets up with Tokibi.

"Forget it. Do it yourself." Tokibi then walked off through the crowd that was now staring at the loud commotion, leaving Masashi to catch up.

Tokibi and Masashi took their seats in class and talked as they waited for class to start. Masashi being his loud and usual clumsy self was making a scene.

"So did you hear about the new news of Virtual Reality MMORPG's?" Masashi asked getting off his seat and hovering over Tokibi with excitement. "I hear that Nintendo has made a partnership with Hiroto Kayaba, Akihiko Kayaba's son. They are working on a new game unheard of before, but no one knows what it is."

"Do you think it is a good idea to partner with the son of the creator of Sword Art Online? After all, he did trap people in the game for two years and ended up killing thousands of people. He was a genius and everything but he was still mad." Tokibi asked a little wary of the news and worried because it's a partnership with the company his mom works for.

"Yeah true. But without him and Kirigaya Kazuto, also known as Kirito, for releasing the World Seed, we wouldn't have the kind of gaming opportunities we have today. And Hiroto publically apologized for the actions of his father and wants to regain the name of the Kayaba family so he made wealthy donations to charities and assures that the new game will be a step in the future for mankind. " The whole room was staring as Masashi became more and more rambunctious.

Masashi finally notices the stares from everyone and quietly whispers to Tokibi, "Boy you sure are lucky. All the girls are always staring at you with you're American looks." Masashi said jealously.

"Its not my fault! You always create such a commotion that they just stare at us period. It's hard enough trying not to stick out like a sore thumb cuz of my looks but when I have a melodramatic friend like you, everyone is bound to notice." Tokibi said angrily.

The rest of the day passed uneventful besides the occasional letter from a girl in his class or the murmured giggling as he passed a group of girls in the hallway. After tack and field practice, Tokibi started to depart for home when he met up with Angel, who just finished her meeting with the student council board. She was student body president, which with her drop-dead good looks, lusty body, and demanding and overbearing personality, added more to her respect-demanding demeanor.

"Hello Tokibi how was school?" Angel asked as she strode up to Tokibi.

"Oh, Angel-kun! Hello. My day-" Tokibi was cut off by a kick to the face that left him sprawling on the ground. He stood up quickly and yelled at Angel angrily, "What the hell was that for? How can you be nice one second and evil the next? Do you do it just to mess with my head?"

"I already told you this. You will refer to me as Angel-sama during school hours." She said nonchalantly.

"What? Why the hell would I do that? I'm older than you and a grade above. Therefore you should address me as Tokibi-sama or Tokibi-senpai" Tokibi's face got red as he imagined Angel dressed up in a skimpy maid outfit holding a feather duster and in a seductive and provocative voice saying "_Welcome home Tokibi-senpai! I made you dinner and prepared you're after meal tea. Is there anything else you want me to do senpai?" _

Tokibi was snapped out of his daydream by another kick to the stomach.

"No. You will address me as the honorific 'sama' while we are in school. And if you were just daydreaming about me, you can expect another kick…" she threatened.

"No, no, no. I wasn't. Just whatever lets go. We are going to be late to pick up Mei-san and we both know how timid she gets that she is by herself." Tokibi picked himself up and they walked back to the house.

They ate their dinner, which Mei gracefully prepared for three. It was delicious Jingisukan, which is sliced lamb and vegetables barbecued. They were also served a side of white rice.

They sat on the floor as the food was served on the kotatsu.

"Itadakimasu" They said in unison, and they began to enjoy the food.

After dinner, Tokibi went to his room to study while Mei and Angel stayed in the living room. After Tokibi finished homework, he decided to play on his Play Station 8. He had beaten all the game titles he had but he like the Final Fantasy on this particular console and always replayed it. In fact, Tokibi's entire room was littered with dozens of game consoles, hundred of games, and posters and wallpapers covered his wall of all his favorite anime's and games. He even owned the super retro Gameboy games that where ridiculously hard to come by, but since his mother worked for Nintendo he could easily acquire them, as long as he promised not to sell them on the market.

An alarm went off a couple hours later than signaled it was time to call their mother who should just be getting up. Tokibi and Mei moved to the family room where a rather large TV was hung on the wall. Above the wall was a projector but instead of the projector facing a wall or screen, it was angled straight down to the center of the family room. They spoke aloud for it to call their mother. After a couple of rings the TV turned on to show a beautiful woman with brown, waist long, curly hair like Mei and deep ocean blue eyes like Tokibi, in a business attire. She smiled brightly to show two rows of beautifully white teeth, when she saw her children. Behind her showed a spacious apartment overlooking the ocean and in the background could be seen a giant lime green statue of the Statue of Liberty.

"Hello mother, how are you?" Tokibi asked. "Do you want to come in? Or are you running late?" Angel looked confused at the question Tokibi just asked.

"No. I'm actually running ahead of schedule so I have a couple minutes to spare. I'll start up the electronic projector and you guys get ready to accept the signal." She said. Tokibi grabbed the touchscreen pad that was on one of the sofas and inputted some commands. Then from the projector came a brilliant green laser light that seemed to etch an outline of a human form that was then filled in by a red laser. Within 15 seconds, Tokibi mother stood in the center of the room.

"Wow that's amazing!" exclaimed Angel.

"Yea this type of technology is not readily available just yet. But mom persuaded the head of Nintendo corp. to allow her and her children have one." Tokibi said as he gave a warm embrace to his mother. Mei then followed.

"So she is actually here?" Angel asked in confusion. "Wouldn't that be like teleportation?"

"No, not quite. It's just electrical pulses that pull particles from the surroundings to give form to a new shape that is controlled by a movement monitor on the other side. It is closer along the idea of Astral Projections. Where psychics have the ability to throw their mind somewhere their body isn't and they would be able to take a ghost like form. But this uses electrical currents instead."

"Oh…" Angel said bewildered.

"Oh mom. This is Angel; she is the friend of Mei that we have told you all about. Is it ok if she lives here with us?"

"Why of course. It's nice to meet you Angel. My name is Akemi Himura. I'm really glad to meet one of Mei's friends." Akemi gave Angel a brilliant smile that would have put Angel's to shame.

Angel was really surprised at the woman who stood before her with such elegance and reverence. Angle kind of idolized Tokibi's mother. She was a beautiful and powerful woman working for one of the largest corporations of the world. Her name befitted her very well.

"Nice to meet you too, Himura-ue." Angel returned her bright smile and bowed her head.

Tokibi was left in shock from the level of respect Angel was giving his mother. Never before has he seen Angel respect someone so highly.

Akemi giggled slightly "Please, just call me Akemi. Or mom if you like" and gave a small wink to Angel.

Tokibi could see joy overwhelm Angel and a huge smile appeared on her face, a true, sincere smile that Angel hardly ever wore. Tears swelled in Angels' eyes as she accepted the moms open arms in an embrace.

"Oh great, I guess she really is going to be part of the family." Tokibi said sarcastically, though actually he was quite happy, remembering that Mei had told their mother that Angel was her only friend and she was an orphan that was cared for by the government. A strong kick to Tokibi's stomach was Angels' response to his sarcasm, which sent him flying to the couch. Akemi started laughing and even Mei joined in the giggles.

After sometime of talking, laughing, and the occasional comment from Mei, Tokibi became serious.

"Mother. I have a question to ask you. From what I hear, Nintendo has partnered up with Hiroto Kayaba, the son of Akihiko Kayaba creator of SAO, to begin development on a new form of gaming. Is this true? Can you really trust him?"

Akemi noticed the gravity of the question held to Tokibi. So, she also became serious and answered the question honestly. She never lied to her children; except for the lie that Mei wasn't really related to Tokibi, but more of a distant cousin. "It is true that we have grouped together in a joint venture to produce a new game. But it is still within the realms of virtual gaming, not a new form of gaming. Though what is new is the Cardinal System. It's called Cardinal System A1. It has fewer limitations, faster processing power and a more full-dive experience for gamers. The old system wasn't working well with the newer advances in technology so for a while it seemed that VRMMORPG were going to be outdated. But with the new system, it can conform to the new updates and better systems. The A1 actually stands for Artificial Intelligence, or AI, but that kind of wording seems to frighten buyers. Though the game will be able to create things, animals and NPC's that think for themselves, that is as far as it's limitations extends. In other words, developers no longer need to program long boring text into the game to make the NPC's or have set quests'. Instead, the NPC's will react as normal characters and build communication techniques the more actual characters talk to it. They also have the ability to create quest that arise out of unforeseen events in the game. For example if there is a PK guild that needs to be killed, or something was robbed, the NPC can create a quest for adventures to help the NPC recover what was lost and will reward the player respectively to the difficulty of the task. In layman terms, it is a game that can play itself."

Tokibi being a gamer himself was really surprised by the innovativeness of Hiroto. He didn't think anything like that would actually be possible, a game that could play itself and adapt to the players in the game.

"When will this be released?" Asked Tokibi, he has been wary to try any form of VRMMORPG ever since the incident with SAO almost 7 years ago and then again with Alfheim Online nearly 5 years ago. But this game seemed just too cool to pass up.

"Well I know you aren't much of a fan of VRMMORPG, but Nintendo has taken an interest into it. According to Hiroto, it is already ready for Demo testing. There will be a total of 5,000 copies given to high-ranking Nintendo VIP's and contest winners throughout Japan. I have two already reserved incase you wanted to try it. But seeing as I have a new daughter," She flashed a smile to Angel who smiled back, "I bet I can get one more copy sent to you guys"

Tokibi was elated. He was honored to be part of a BETA-testing. All the fear of SAO left his mind. Both Angel and Mei nodded their heads in agreement to try out the new game.

"Okay then. I'll get one more copy and have it sent over right away with the first title playable on Cardinal System A1. But I have to get to work now. So I'll see you all tomorrow, and have a good night" she waved goodbye, the body of Akemi suddenly dispersed into a flood of red and green light, and the center of the family room was empty once again.

"So Angel-kun. You have to call me '-nīsan' now!" Tokibi said with a devilish smile on his face, but he quickly guarded himself from an attack from Angel.

"Like hell I will. You shall still call me '–sama', because I still demand more respect than you! And you better not be thinking of anything perverted!" Angel yelled as Tokibi bounced around the room evading attacks from Angel while he had a goofy smile on his face.

"… I can call you –nichan if you want… Tokibi-nichan" Mei whispered quietly. Both Angel and Tokibi stopped jumping around.

"What?" Tokibi said a little confused. "You know –chan is an endearing honorifics used as an affectionate term or for lovers, right?" Tokibi said while Angel was holding back laughter.

"I-I-I know that! I said –nisan. That's all" Mei said as her face for bright red and she got flustered and ran out of the room. Angel chased after her laughing. Tokibi just shook his head and headed to his room.

Tokibi then lied down on his bed and tried to get some rest. He was too anxious for his virtual reality game to come out that it was hard to focus on much. From the bathroom, he can hear Angel singing, as she was preparing her bath. Tokibi started imagining Angel taking the bath.

* * *

Covered with just a towel Angel opened the door to Tokibi's room. "Senpai-sama. I need your help. There is this spot on my back that I cant wash without help. Would you mind?" as Angel turned around and loosened her towel so that it exposed her back and was just barely hanging on to the small of her back just above her hips. Tokibi's face became real hot and his palms were sweaty.

"Sure, i don't mind." Tokibi gave a sly laugh. He followed the seducing Angel to the bathroom. She finally looked like an Angel and acted like one.

Angel looked over her shoulder to watch Tokibi as he entered the room. She gently moved her hair out of her face and started lowering her towel even more.

* * *

Tokibi let out a loud cry as he realized what he was imagining. He silently scolded himself for letting his imagination get the better of him. Just then Mei popped her head into the room.

"Toki-nīsan! Are you okay? I heard a yell?" Mei asked as she started entering his room. "-onisan! You're bleeding from your nose! Did you get hit?"

Tokibi, startled by Mei's appearance tried to clean up his nose when he realized there was still a disturbance in his pants from what he was imagining. "No! Mei, please go away, I'm fine." He said as he held up his hands in defense so she wouldn't get any closer. Suddenly Angel burst into the room.

"I heard Tokibi is bleeding! I wanna see!" she exclaimed.

Both Tokibi and Mei turned to see Angel in the doorway holding just a towel that hung from her large bosoms down to her mid-thigh area. Tokibi's face became even hotter than before and he let out another cry as he fell back into his bed knocked out.

The next few days past in slow motion for Tokibi, as he impatiently awaited the arrival of his new game. Having a new member around the house wasn't too bad. Tokibi could tell that Mei was a little happier and wasn't too shy around the house. Outside was a different story. Though she didn't hide or shy away anymore, Angel taught her how to just walk around not paying attention to anyone. Though that helped to stop people from approaching her, it kind of turned her into an outcast but Mei didn't mind. She still had the occasional boy come up to her and try to talk but she wouldn't reply. So instead, she was talked about in groups of boys of how pretty and desired she was and by the girls, they hated her.

The main negative part was the constant painful awakenings Tokibi had to endure every morning if he refused to wake up in time. Tokibi became so afraid that he would hardly sleep at night afraid of what torturous method Angel had planned for waking him up the next morning.

After four days of waiting, it was finally here. Tokibi, Angela and Mei were greeted by a package with United States postal stamps on it. They excitedly brought it inside and began to unwrap it. Their mom never told what game it would bring so that added to Tokibi's suspense. At last, they removed the three AmuSphere's that were encased in the box. Then at the very bottom of the box was their copy of the first game for the new generation of VRMMORPG gameplay.

The games' title reads "The Great Pokémon Adventure".

*Notes.

Tokibi Himura: Young man who is strong willed and cares about his friends. Main character in the story will have crushes from certain members of his group. He is also oblivious from some of their advances.

Mei Himura: (Name Meaning means youngest sister and scarlet village. quite fitting i think.) Tokibi's younger sister, She is really shy and tries to avoid all human interactions. The only to people she occasionally speaks with is Tokibi and Angel, but sometimes she acts weird around Tokibi, i wonder why... They are not actually related but Mei's parents died...( i had this written out in the outline of the story but i don't want to ruin a special moment in the story so i will not disclose this information yet. sorryyyy. :p)

Angel: (Name Meaning is... obvious.) contrary to her name she is not nice and is more of a Tsundere. She likes having heavy battles and showing her dominance. She doesn't like Tokibi in the beginning but after traveling feelings start to emerge. She is best friends with Tokibi's sister Mei.

Hiroto Kayaba: (Name Meaning Hiroto means large or grand) Not much is known other than he is the son of Akihiko Kayaba, the developer of Sword Art Online, and he is the prodigy son said to take gaming to the next level.

Akemi Himura: Mother of Tokibi. (Name Meaning is Bright beauty of scarlet village. Roughly translated.)

Masashi: friend of Tokibi. Name means elegant director but is exactly opposite.

Itadakimasu: "I gracefully receive" You say it before eating meal. It's to show good manners.

Jingisukan: Barbecued sliced lamb with vegetables usually dipped in tare sauce. Vegetables especially include chopped onions and cabbage. A specialty of Hokkaidō, the second largest island region of japan.

Kotatsu: A traditional Japanese table. It could be wrapped with a futon cover to protect feet in cold seasons.

-san (さん) : most common honorific term used as a title of respect used among equals.

-sama (様 【さま】): More respectful form of -san. used to refer to people of much higher rank, and sometimes towards people one greatly admires.

-kun (君【くん】): used by a person of senior status addressing a person of junior status. also used amongst same age young male friends. can be used by a female that has a emotional attachment to someone.

-chan (ちゃん): expresses endearment. used for babies, children's or for lovers.

-senpai (先輩 【せんぱい】: used to refer to one of senior status

-kohai (後輩 【こうはい】: opposite of senpai.

-ue (上): literally means 'above'. denotes a high level of respect. is not commonly used in real life.


	2. Chapter 2: Bonds of a Family

Hey everyone, here is the second chapter to my new story. I hope you like it and please leave a comment if you liked it. If you are unsure about any of the terms used in my chapter, feel free to ask me and i will gladly reply. This one is like a mushy mushy chapter so i hope you enjoy it. Also Disclaimer* I don not own Sword Art Online, nor Pokemon, nor am i a Nintendo affiliate. I only own my OC's and my crazy creative imagination ,.

side note. if you do not like long stories or log chapters then it is probably not best to read my chapter. please leave a comment all comments are welcomed but be nice please, just a beginner writer here.

Chapter 2: Bonds of a Family

"The Great Pokemon Adventure huh?" Angel said amusingly.

"Wow. This is awesome. I remember playing all of the retro pokemon titles since I was a kid. Too bad they stopped making them a couple years ago. I guess you can only create so many pokemon before you run out of ideas huh?" Tokibi said excited at his new pokemon game. It was the first pokemon title to be released in the last 10 years, and Tokibi was going to be a BETA tester for it. He couldn't contain his excitement.

"What do you think Mei? Do you like pokemon?" Angel asked. Mei was very timid in real life but she often played more MMO games than Tokibi because it let her escape from herself and become more courageous and assertive since it wasn't really her they were looking at.

Mei gave a slow nod and looked intently at the game case studying the epic case cover. The games cover had a trio of pokemon three bigger pokemon in the background. It was a garchomp on the left; pidgeot in the middle with its wings expanded and on the right was a charizard letting out a flamethrower. Behind the three giant pokemons was a humongous empty stadium. In the front of the three pokemon was a zoroark in front of the garchomp, under the pidgeot spreading its wings, was a trainer with a pikachu on his right shoulder and in front of the charizard was a lucario. She then wrapped the game in her arms in a hugging embrace.

Angel gave a small giggle as she watched Mei's cuteness with the game. She then looked over to Tokibi who was already digging into the games packaging and reading the instruction manual.

"So the pokemon will act like actual creatures in the wild. They will attack if they feel threatened or if their territory is invaded. They protect their young and breed. The NPC's will also try to catch new pokemon and battle when they have new ones. They also make trades if they see a pokemon they like, or you can trade with them if they have a pokemon you want but you have to make a good offer for them to accept, like an actual trainer. This IS SO COOL! Not only will we be playing along 5,000 other trainers to become the Champion, but the NPC's can act like actual trainers too." Tokibi explained as he read the manual out loud.

Tokibi's excitement was contagious, as Angel also wanted to tear into her game package and reveal the sacred insides of the rare game. Mei just kept her embrace and pet the case of her game.

"Mei you know you wont hurt it if you open the case." Angel said laughing again.

Mei temporarily stopped petting her game to look up at Angel, and then looked back down at the game and back at Angel where she shook her head at Angel and continued to pet her game.

Angel just shook her head and opened her game instead, and started reading the manual as well. Not much information other than the basic controls of the game was listed in the manual and some gameplay. Most of the strategy, pokemon types, pokedex, trainers, and gym leaders were left blank. It was meant for BETA tester's to fill in as much information as they could during the rest their trial period. The rest incomplete would have to be completed when the actual game aired.

Mei finally reluctantly agreed to open her game when Angel and Tokibi kept pressuring her. She opened it as carefully as possible making sure not to tear anything but the plastic wrapping. Then they all lied down on the couch and set up the AmuSphere second-generation headgears. They resembled the first generation Nervegear headsets in that they covered about three-quarters of their head. The manual said the 2nd Generation AmuSphere was bigger because it would allow for more processing power needed to maintain a steady link to the high performance world of Pokemon.

They then entered the game into the drive section of the console, laid back and in unison shouted

"Link Start"

Their vision went black and moments later the screen flashed on with a bright white screen with green letters that read 'START'. The system then proceeded to run a system diagnostics checking the visual, auditory, tactical, gustatory, and olfactory senses. After the check was complete, the screen read 'All Systems Go'.

Then their vision turned black and silver words spread across the screen that read 'Nintendo welcomes you to the first testing of the greatest pokemon experience of all time. What is your name?'

They each entered their names. The next question was what would they like their GamerID to be.

Tokibi chose to mix up his first and last name like he always does to be called Tokihira.

Angel was fine with being called Angel since it wasn't a very common name and she would be the original one to have it since GamerID's can't be used twice.

Mei was inputting hers like she always did but stopped before hitting send. She realized that Tokibi would be playing this game too so she couldn't use her normal GamerID. So, she decided to make a new one. She thought of one quickly and put it in because she didn't want to be left behind in the virtual world. She decided to use the English version of her name with her last name. MayHimura3.

Then a scanning and installing screen appeared. The loading bar quickly went from 0% to 95% within a couple of seconds but the last five percent took about 3 minutes to finish. After that they were greeted by a thank you message

_Thank you BETA testers for installing the preliminaries of The Great Pokemon Adventure. Sadly, we regret to inform you that the actual testing date will begin on June 3__rd__ 2029. This is to allow time for all BETA testers to obtain their copy of the trial game. We hope to see you soon. _

Then the screen shut off and the room came back into focus.

"Are you kidding me? Dammit! More waiting." Tokibi yelled furiously. "That's two weeks from now. I was dying after waiting for just four days. How will I live for another 2 weeks?"

"Well that is kind of disappointing indeed. I was actually looking forward to it too." Angel said.

Mei just quietly removed the game from the drive, replaced it into her case and carried it as she walked out of the family room.

"Mei has been even more quiet than usual, huh Angel?" Tokibi asked worried about Mei.

"I think she's fine. She was just excited and then disappointed just like us and she doesn't know how to convey her feelings that well." Angel said.

"Yeah I guess…" Tokibi said still uneasy about Mei's actions.

"I'm curious though Tokibi," Angel said inquiringly, "What is the truth behind you and Mei? You two are so different it is hard to believe that you're actually siblings."

Tokibi let out a sigh, "Well it's true that we are not actually siblings." He said. "Her parents' and mines were really close friends that worked for the same company. They were said to be brilliant programmers, the both of them. But one day a fire broke out in their house when they were sleeping when Mei was still an infant. No one knows how it actually started. They were trapped in Mei's room on the second story of the house while the fire raged below their feet. Her dad had to break the window and then lowered her and her mother to safety but he didn't make it out of the burning house. The paramedics didn't make it in time and Mei's mother died of smoke inhalation shortly after. The paramedics even said that Mei was close on the brink of death when they found her but the shawl she was wrapped in managed to block out enough smoke so she survived."

"Oh wow that's tragic. Poor Mei…" Angel said sympathetically. Suddenly there a thud outside the family room and then quick footsteps up the stairs.

"Aw shit." Tokibi said. He quickly got up and ran out the family room as he chased after Mei. As he headed up the stairs, he heard Mei's room door slam shut. He walked over to her room and gently knocked on the door. There was no response.

"Mei? Are you okay? Did you hear what Angel and I were talking about?" Tokibi asked.

**Mei's POV**

I sat on the bed clutching my pillow with a chubby, but cute face of a pikachu on it, and breathing heavily into it. I couldn't believe what I just heard. _Has my whole life been a lie?_ Sadness filled my heart, it felt like I should cry but I couldn't. _I have never been able to cry, no matter how sad things got. Like when my father died, well he's not my father really, I still wasn't able to shed a single tear. I just stood there with Akemi and Tokibi as they cried and hugged each other. That's the first time I felt some emotional connection to Tokibi, but I have never been able to act on it_. Soft footsteps were audible outside my door and then a gentle knock followed by Tokibi's smooth voice.

"Mei? Are you okay? Did you hear what Angel and I were talking about?"

_Of course I did you idiot. Why didn't you or mom tell me this sooner though? _No, it's not fair to take it out on them. They were just protecting me. I still decided not to answer.

The door creaked open and Tokibi's cute face poked through the opening. My stomach became knotted. He had of way of using those deep blue eyes to stare straight into my soul. "Mei?" He said in his smooth, charming voice. Even his voice was like a soothing tune to ease my fear or shyness.

_No point in hiding now._ "Yes?" I replied quietly. He completely entered the room, closed the door behind him and walked towards my bed where I was sitting, his tall stature hovering over my bed.

"Can I sit with you for a little bit?" He asked politely. My stomach became flooded with butterflies.

"S-s-sure" _Damn you Mei. Why do I always stutter when I speak to him?_

"I bet you hate me now huh? You're probably wondering why I never told you sooner."

I didn't respond. I didn't know what to say. I saw the sadness grow in his eyes.

"I just always wanted to protect you Mei-kun. I wanted you to fit in with my family as much as possible. I know my mom and dad wanted the same. You were always my priority. To make sure you were happy was my main goal in life. To be there for you if you ever needed me, no matter what I would have to do."

His eyes bored into my soul as our gaze locked. They seemed to transgress the ordinary laws of function because I can actually feel him looking deep inside me, to my very core. My face started to feel really hot. _What are you doing to me Tokibi-chan? _I remained quiet.

His eyes prying into every dark corner I hid within myself, shinning light where any shadow dwelled. I didn't mind if he could see all of me, in fact I as happy. I wanted to be completely accepted by Tokibi-chan.

"But you have always been so quiet and withdrawn that I don't know what to do for you. I never know if you ever needed me. Just know that I feel the same about you and I will still protect you or be there for you no matter what you how you feel after tonight." He sat there looking at me for another minute before starting to get up.

Instinctively I grabbed his hand before he could finish getting up. My face was now burning up. _What am I doing? Why did I grab his hand? Why can't I let go? _I looked up to meet Tokibi's gaze. He stared at me in shock. _Dammit, why did I do that?_

As I let go of his hand, he bent back down and wrapped me in his arms completely burying me in his chest. A pleasant calm washed over me, though my face still felt like it was on fire. I nuzzled my face deeper into his chest, accepting his warm embrace. _I think I might just melt Tobi-chan if you don't let me go, but please don't let go._

He must have read my thoughts because he embraced me even tighter. As his arms squeezed me for what felt like an eternity, he finally let go. He then gave me a kiss on the forehead.

"Mei!" He said in surprise, "Are you running a fever? You feel really hot."

I blushed harder. "N-n-no tobi-chan, I'm ok. I just need sleep." I spurted out rapidly. I immediately regretted what I just said. _I just called him –chan again! He freaked out last time._

Tokibi briefly had a quick look of surprise pass over his face and then he smiled. He giggled slightly and started to walk out the room. "Okay then get your rest. It would suck if you slept in and Angel had to wake me up again. I seriously don't know how much I can take of that girls morning greeting." He said flashing one last smile at me before closing the door.

_I'm such an idiot. Damn you Tokibi. How long will I be having dreams of what you did to me tonight? _I tossed my head back into my pillow in exasperation. A wave of exhaustion washed over me and I quickly succumbed to sleep. Instead of dreams of Tokibi, dreams from a past long forgotten welcomed me. Dreams of a burning house, a screaming man and a frantic woman. Quietness surrounded me then shortly after, sirens with flashing lights.

At the end, before I was shrouded in darkness for the rest of the night I could make out the smile of a young boy that I knew I would grow to love.

**Angel's POV**

The family room was pretty quiet when no one is in here. Sadness washed over me after hearing Mei's tragic tale. Then watching Tokibi chase after her leaving me all to myself.

_I wonder if anyone ever chased after me._ _I've been alone for as long as I can remember. _A new feeling arose in my chest. Jealousy? Envy? I pushed the negative feelings aside as I got up to see what was happening with Mei.

I crept up the stairs and knelt behind Mei's door. I could hear Tokibi talking, but no sound coming from Mei. Tokibi was calming her and comforting her. The words he used burned into my heart.

"I just always wanted to protect you Mei-kun. I wanted you to fit in with my family as much as possible. I know my mom and dad wanted the same. You were always my priority. To make sure you were happy was my main goal in life. To be there for you if you ever needed me, no matter what I would have to do."

_Did anyone ever say or think those things to me?_ I know what those feeling that where that I was feeling earlier and now. They were not jealousy or envy. It is loneliness.

Tokibi finished speaking and just an eerie silence welcomed it's way into my ears. I opened the door just a crack making sure not to create any sound.

I peered inside and saw Tokibi holding Mei in a deep embrace. Mei's hands then worked their way up to Tokibi's back to return his embrace.

_I didn't know Tokibi was so sensitive and caring of his sister. She's so lucky to have found a family like this, even if it's broken and separated. _Their care for each other transcends the distance. Even from the short meeting with their mother, I could tell she deeply cares for them both.

_What am I doing here? I don't belong. I am just intruding on their lives. I am not a burden. I demand respect, not sympathy._

Movement inside the room caught my eye and snapped me out of my thoughts that were hurting like paper cuts. Tokibi was getting up. I quickly shuffled to my room and silently closed the door, and sat on my bed staring at the ceiling.

_I was fine before coming here. Why do they make me feel like this? I never felt so alone even though I grew up by myself. I need to get out of here. No longer will I burden them. I'm still going to be Mei's friend but I can't live here anymore. _I packed some of my clothes that I had gradually moved over here. I decided to lie in wait for everyone to fall asleep then I'll will leave them a note thanking them for everything they have done for me. _Then I'll take it on the run back to my old house where these emotions never bothered me before… but will I be the same?_ I pushed the feelings aside once again. I have been thinking too much tonight.

I heard Mei's room door close and soft footsteps heading past my door to Tokibi's room where there was another soft thud as his door closed. About thirty minutes passed and the coast seemed clear. I opened my door and crept down the hallway. I was about halfway down the stairs when I remembered I left my BETA testing game in my room.

_Shit._ I retraced my steps, got the game and hardware then quietly finished exiting the house, making sure to cause next to no noise. The cool night air felt nice on my skin and new energy awoke within me. I sprinted down the street heading back to where my old house resides. It wasn't too far. Maybe 15 minutes if I ran the whole way and with this sudden burst of energy, I'm sure I'll be there in no time.

Only bad thing is that I would have to go through a bad part of town. I checked my phone for the time. 2:45 flashed across the screen. _It's pretty late. I'll have to make sure to tread carefully to not run into any trouble. _Adrenaline pumped through my veins allowing me to run further than I normally could.

I was now about 5 minutes away from my house when I heard the roar of motorcycles approaching behind me. I ran faster not wanting to look back.

The bikers quickly caught up and encircled me stopping me progress.

"Looks what we have here. What is a hot babe like you doing out so late?" said one of the men who seemed to be the leader. It was a total of three bikers; the oldest was maybe in his mid-twenties.

"Just leave me alone. I'm just trying to head home." I replied trying to show no fear.

"Oh really. Why don't you let me give you a ride sweetie?" he said with an evil smile. The other two bikers laughed.

"No, its ok." I said with conviction. "I'm almost there."

The bikers then engaged their bike stand and dismounted their bikes, making a slow steady approach to where I was standing. _This is not good._

The leader grabbed my hand. I retaliated with a high kick that landed dead center in his face. He stumbled back in shock. The other two jumped me from my side grabbing my arms and holding me down.

"Now that is not very nice, you little bitch. Here we are just trying to help a distressed young beauty and this is how you treat our generosity?" He said as he spit blood onto the floor. He then raised his hand and brought it across my face. I let out a yelp in pain but couldn't move from the tight grip the other two bikers had on me.

"Well since you like it rough." He brought his hand across my face again. The pain made my mind swim and my vision became blurry. I then felt one of his hands around my waist working his way under my shirt. "You have some very large breast you know. I bet they are still untouched." He said with a perverted smile on his face.

No matter how much I squirmed, I couldn't get his hand off my stomach. Tears started forming in my eyes. _Someone help me please…_

**Tokibi's POV**

I gently closed the door to Mei's room, walked over to my room, and closed the door behind me. I lied down on my bed thinking about the events that just unfolded. I couldn't stop thinking about Mei and what I said to her. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. It was no good; my mind was racing and caught in a form of emotional adrenaline. I don't want Mei to think of me any differently. She is still my sister to me even if we aren't related. So, I sat looking up at the dark ceiling. I lost track of time, but suddenly I heard what sounded like a door opening. I listened intently but I heard nothing else. So, I passed it off as my imagination.

Then I heard small footsteps climbing up the stairs; a door opening and then steps back down the stairs. I went to go investigate. As I passed by Angels' room I noticed it was open and there was no one inside. I quickly ran to the front door and jumped outside.

_Damnit Angel. Where are you going? _I decided she would probably be heading back to her house and I remembered the quickest way to get there was through a rough part of town.I quickly ran off in the direction.

Being an adept runner from track and field, I was approaching Angel's house in record time.

I started to hear what sounded like a scuffle further down the street. I picked up my pace.

Four figures came into view. It looked like three of them were surrounding a shorter female. Then I heard a cry of pain come from Angel. Anger burned inside my heart as I once again ran faster. I was now barreling towards the three figures.

They didn't know what hit them. Running full speed, I leapt into the air and kicked one of the men holding angel. He crashed forward with such force that he even knocked down the man that was grabbing onto Angel's waist. The other man holding Angel didn't even have time to react before I executed a well aimed roundhouse kick straight into his nose. I heard a crunch under my foot followed by a loud yell echoing into the night. I pulled out my phone and threw it to Angel who was still standing in shock.

"Call the police!" I yelled. I noticed the one who looked like the leader struggle to get up as he pushed his henchman off of him. He looked up and our eyes met briefly before I used a heel kick that hit him in the forehead. His unconscious body flopped onto the ground.

The final henchman tried to make his escape, but I quickly grabbed his hand and twisted it behind his back pinning him to the floor.

Shortly after, the cops showed up and apprehended the criminals, they took our statements and then we were let go. I walked with Angel in silence back to my house. Just outside the fence is when I lost my temper.

"What is wrong with you? Why would you go running off at this time of night?" I yelled. She bowed her head in shame but didn't say anything.

"I can't believe you! What if something would have happened to you?" I continued yelling.

"It's not like anyone would care. I don't have a family like you and Mei. I'm all alone. If I disappear then no one will notice so why do you care?" she replied angrily with tears streaming down her face.

I had to take a step back. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Angel continued to weep uncontrollably. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a hug. She was shorter so her head was in the center of my chest. She stopped crying from the shock of being caught off guard.

"If that's is really what you think then, when tomorrow comes I would like you to explain what happened tonight to your sister who is sleeping up there," I pointed to her room window, "And when we call our mom tomorrow I would like you to explain it to her too."

After a slight pause of silence, I could feel tears start flowing on to my shirt. But these were not tears of anger or loneliness. These were tears of regret.

"I-I-I'm sorry." She choked out.

"I know you were alone once. But you are not anymore. You do have a family now. And none of us may be related by blood but we are as close as a family as we will ever have. So we have to stick together okay?"

Angel started sobbing and her shallow breathing was the only noise audible in the dead of night.

"I understand," she said after she regained herself. "We have each other, and we need to stick together. I'm sorry and it wont happen again."

I felt the sincerity in her words so I grabbed her shoulders to pull away slightly so I can examine the damage done to her. The marks were slightly red on her cheek but she would be fine. No bruising will over, maybe just slight discomfort.

Her pale complexion with the moon shining off her face was a sight that would have killed a normal man. Tiny sparkles illuminated her face from the streaks of tears. My stomach tightened as I stared at her beautiful face, and our eyes locked. I stared into her brilliant azure eyes that seemed to soak up all of the light from the moon. I stared as long as I dared until finally, we broke apart and walked inside together. I made sure she went to bed and then I made my way to my room. Sleeps comforting embrace overtook me the moment my head touched my pillow.

**Normal POV**

The next day at breakfast, the tension in the air was so thick one could cut it with a knife. The trio exchanged awkward glances at one another the whole time. It was a weekend so no one had anywhere to go. Tokibi tried to break the silence with idle chat.

"Man if we were able to sign on to GPA I would be playing all weekend but no! They have to send it to us two weeks early for torture huh!" He said getting worked up about not being able to play again.

"Well look on the bright side," Angel chimed in "Now you can spend all weekend kissing you sister like you did last night" she said with an evil laugh.

"**Angel!" **Both Mei and Tokibi cried in harmony. Mei's pale face turned cherry red, she threw her eggs at Angel and ran out of the room.

"Just wait until I show everyone the picture of the loving embrace I got with the mighty Angel, while she was in tears, at school on Monday" Tokibi said with a sly smile. "Then we will see who is the last to laugh."

"Tokibi! I swear to God if you took a picture I will kill you!" She exclaimed attempting to slap Tokibi. Tokibi has had a week learning her attack styles so he easily avoided and jumped away. But he was unprepared for what happened next.

Angel jumped on the table and leapt after the shocked Tokibi. Her fist collided with his face and he was thrown to the floor.

Mei walked back in the kitchen to find Angel standing above Tokibi while stomping on his crotch repeatedly and yelling to delete the picture while Tokibi yelped in agony.

Without saying a single word, she stared at the foolish scene for a moment, then turned completely around on her heels and exited the kitchen again.

The commotion died down and Angel walked into the living room to enjoy a cup of hot tea with Mei, who already had three cups prepared. Tokibi followed walking awkwardly and not being able to fully stand up straight, he was also holding his crotch area with an extremely painful look on his face.

"W-W-Would you like some tea tobi-nichan?" Mei asked without making eye contact. Tokibi blushed slightly and Angel snickered.

"Yes please Mei-kun. That would be nice." He replied as he scratched the back of his head. His mother and Mei are the only ones to know that that's his tale sign of being in an awkward situation. As a matter of fact, Tokibi had many tale signs. If he were lying, he would scratch the back part of his left hand. If he were excited, he would crack his knuckles. If he were afraid, he would puff out his chest to show dominance and not weakness.

Mei poured the tea and handed it to Tokibi while looking at the table the entire time. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. They just relaxed, played some video games and watched TV. Nighttime fell and it was time to call their mother. She was kind of in a rush so she didn't get to do her electronic projection thing. They just talked about how their days have been and how disappointed they all were that they had to wait an extra two weeks to play the game. Akemi laughed at her children's' impatience. Before she left she told everyone goodbye and to sleep well but that she wanted to speak with Angel for a moment alone.

Angel's stomach tightened, and anger flared in her at the thought of Tokibi telling her what happened even though they agreed not to.

**Akemi's POV**

I watched my children leave through the monitor until they were out of sight. They gave me confused looks but abided by my wishes. Finally, only Angel stood in the center of the room.

"Hello my dear Angel. How are you?" I asked.

"Umm. I'm fine thank you Akemi-okasan." She replied respectfully.

"Please. I already told you. Call me mom" and gave her one of my most heart warming smiles to comfort her. A smile grew on Angel's face as well.

"I see that you have regret in your eyes. That is why I wanted to talk to you. I may have not known you for very long but a mother knows when something is wrong with her child and I am your mom now."

"Did Tokibi tell you what happened?" she asked.

"No. I haven't talked to Tokibi since the last time that I talked with all of you. Like I said, I can see something is bothering you." I repeated.

"Well… it's nothing now. Tokibi already helped my through my problem. I just feel the need to apologize to you for whatever happened, but I don't really want to get into details." I saw the pain of regret slowly started to leave her eyes.

"That's good. I trust you to take care of yourself and your family now okay? And Tokibi is a good brother and cares a lot about his family. I know none of you are actually blood related and I'm sure you know that by now as well. But blood is not the only thing that makes a family come together you know? It's the care for each other they share that brings a family together. I love you and Mei both just as much as I love my own son. Please don't you forget it." I started to see tears swell up in the eyes of Angel. They were warm tears of joy that are shed when someone feels loved.

I said my goodbye to Angel and I turned off the monitor. In the reflection of the black screen, I saw a young man with long hair approach behind me. I turned to face him.

"Hello Hiroto Kayaba, how may I help you?"

"Oh I'm fine thank you very much. You are looking as lovely as ever Akemi Himura-san. And you're sweet caring personality is beyond compare. You're just the whole package aren't you?" He replied with his deep, rich voice.

"You flatter me so Kayaba." I reply without batting an eye. "You are pretty cunning yourself. Now what do you need?"

"Always so strict and down to business, aren't you?" he said nonchalantly. "Just here to make sure that the plans are going smoothly. Are all the pawns getting put into place?"

"So far we are ahead of schedule. Just a couple more steps and we will be all set. Then you can just sit back and enjoy the view." I said as I eyed him walking around my apartment. He grabbed a glass and poured some scotch, raised the glass in a toast and took a sip.

"Very good. And what about the 'contest winner'? Is he already set up to inherit his grand prize?" he asked as he swished the scotch around in his glass.

"Like a said. We are ahead of schedule and we just need a couple more steps. We will probably be ready way before the dateline."

"Ok good. I'm just making sure." He finished his glass and headed towards the exit. He opened the door but didn't leave. Instead, he called back to Akemi "Oh and make sure Mei is well taken care of." He said as he looked over his shoulder.

I gave him a devious smile. "Don't worry. She will be well taken care of."

And with that Hiroto left, I collected my bags and got out of the apartment as well, and headed for Nintendo North America based Headquarters.

***Notes.**

Tokibi Himura: Young man who is strong willed and cares about his friends. Main character in the story will have crushes from certain members of his group. He is also oblivious from some of their advances.

Mei Himura: (Name Meaning means youngest sister, beautiful. quite fitting i think.) Tokibi's younger sister, She is really shy and tries to avoid all human interactions. The only to people she occasionally speaks with is Tokibi and Angel, but sometimes she acts weird around Tokibi, i wonder why... They are not actually related but Mei's parents died in a tragic house fire. their death's were shrouded in mystery

Angel: (Name Meaning is... obvious.) contrary to her name she is not nice and is more of a Tsundere. She likes having heavy battles and showing her dominance. She doesn't like Tokibi in the beginning but after traveling feelings start to emerge. She is best friends with Tokibi's sister Mei.

Hiroto Kayaba: (Name Meaning Hiroto means large or grand) Not much is known other than he is the son of Akihiko Kayaba, the developer of Sword Art Online, and he is the prodigy son said to take gaming to the next level.

Akemi Himura: Mother of Tokibi. (Name Meaning is Bright beauty of scarlet village. Roughly translated.)

Masashi: friend of Tokibi. Name means elegant director but is exactly opposite.

Itadakimasu: "I gracefully receive" You say it before eating meal. It's to show good manners.

Jingisukan: Barbecued sliced lamb with vegetables usually dipped in tare sauce. Vegetables especially include chopped onions and cabbage. A specialty of Hokkaidō, the second largest island region of japan.

Kotatsu: A traditional Japanese table. It could be wrapped with a futon cover to protect feet in cold seasons.

-san (さん) : most common honorific term used as a title of respect used among equals.

-sama (様 【さま】): More respectful form of -san. used to refer to people of much higher rank, and sometimes towards people one greatly admires.

-kun (君【くん】): used by a person of senior status addressing a person of junior status. also used amongst same age young male friends. can be used by a female that has a emotional attachment to someone.

-chan (ちゃん): expresses endearment. used for babies, children's or for lovers.

-senpai (先輩 【せんぱい】: used to refer to one of senior status

-kohai (後輩 【こうはい】: opposite of senpai.

-ue (上): literally means 'above'. denotes a high level of respect. is not commonly used in real life.


	3. Chapter 3: Link Start

Chapter 3: Link Start

*Scanning in progress.

*Checking for System Update

*Loading Architecture and Environment Sequence

*All Systems Go

Tokihira opens his eyes. He was in a dimly lit room with a digital clock on his right.

5:35 flashed in bright green.

"So I see that time here flows the same as on the real world. That's cool" Tokihira said rubbing his eyes. He just logged in, yet he felt the fatigue and drowsiness of just waking up.

"Son! Please come downstairs. I have someone waiting to meet you." A voice called from downstairs.

_Son?_ Tokihira thought. _I wonder who would that be_.

Tokihira was about to leave the room when a mirror caught his eye. He looked at his reflection with shock in his face. It had just occurred to him that he didn't get to pick out physical traits for his character and now he knew why.

He looked at his reflection, which looked exactly like himself from the real world.

_Is that why it took like a 5-minute scanning process when I first put it on? It was scanning my physical attributes._

He was wearing a plain white shirt with some khaki shorts. It was obvious beginner gear. Anymore luxurious gear will have to be bought.

Tokihira opened the door and light flooded the room making him shield his eyes. He proceeded to walk down the stairs. The hallways were filled with random pokemon pictures hung symmetrically on the wall. Tokihira finally reached a big white door. Tokihira was greeted by a pop up message that read:

_Do you wish to enter the kitchen?_

_Yes or No._

Tokihira entered yes and the white doors opened up to reveal two NPC's standing inside.

One was a woman wearing a pink shirt and long white apron. She had brown hair in a bun and gentle brown eyes. She was shorter than Tokihira, but held a slight resemblance to him. Above her head read :Tokihira's Mom NPC.

The next was an older gentleman with a long white lab coat and grey hair. He also had brown eyes but they showed fierce determination as if he was a great man when he was younger. His name read: Professor NPC.

Tokihira was amazed that the game could add such realistic and lifelike features such as the warmth from the mother's eyes and the fiery determination from the professor. Tokihira thought those traits were only traits that humans could have.

"Ahh! Good morning… um… what was your name again?" asked the professor NPC

Tokihira gave a confused look as a dialog bubble popped up and asked:

_Use GamerID as poketrainer name: Agree?_

Tokihira hit agree since it was the only button available.

"Oh that's right. It's Tokihira! Now… Are you a boy or a girl?"

Tokihira got the relevance from the original pokemon games and started to chuckle slightly.

"I see you are sticking to the script huh?" Tokihira said as a bubble popped up with the word '_Boy' _on it. The professor gave a confused look, as Tokihira said that apparently not knowing what he meant.

"Oh that's right. You're a boy. I remember now." The professor said as he rubbed his head kinda embarrassed.

"So is this where the real conversation starts? Now will you show the extent of you're artificial intelligence?" Tokihira asked with curiosity.

"Haha, yea I guess the real conversation can start," Replied the professor.

Tokihira was stunned by the comment. He wasn't fully prepared to have an actual conversation with an NPC.

"Now then. I am here to offer you the chance to become a pokemon master. That is why you're playing this game right?"

_Wow! They are even self aware that they are in a game too. That is neat._

Tokihira waited for the blue bubble to pop up to select the command but it didn't.

"Like I said, the real conversation can start. You just need to answer. The only times dialog bubbles will appear is the first time you interact with an NPC so they can form a link. After that you will be able to talk normally to them." The professor advised.

"So you can even give advice on other things then pokemon huh? Yes, I want to be a pokemon trainer. The best there will ever be." Tokihira felt enthusiasm rising up as he anxiously awaited his first pokemon.

"Yes. For the first couple stages in the game, I will be a sort of mentor to you. Anything within my programmed knowledge I can help you with. And good. That's the spirit. Now you need to choose your first pokemon."

Tokihira began to shake with excitement. He couldn't wait to see his starter choices.

"Or rather… you will have to catch your first pokemon. Unlike other games, you will not be given a starter pokemon. Starter pokemon are extremely rare. You will have to catch them as well and though they do spawn, there are not very many of them. If they are all caught before the first breeding season then there will only be two of each starter pokemon in the entire pokemon world, one female and one male. These starter pokemon will also be unable to breed with a ditto. They must mate with their own race. Same thing applies to most legendary's that have the capability to breed."

"Oh come on professor. That is not cool." Tokihira said with much disappointment.

"Well you better hurry up and catch one then. As for what you will get from me. I will give you this unique starter ball. It has the ability to automatically catch the first pokemon you throw it to. But be aware that the effect only last for 3 days. After that, it will change into a regular pokeball. We don't want people saving it as a master ball after all." The professor said smugly.

A dialog bubble popped up that asked to accept gift from professor. Tokihira hit accept and looked into his inventory as he pulled up his main menu. He had 100 gil and 1 SS starter ball.

"I will also give you this." The professor sent another gift to Tokihira for him to accept. "It is a pokedex and a world map. It will show whatever region you are in but only the landscape. If you want more data such as cities and etc. you will have to fill it out by traveling there."

The more the professor explained things, the more difficult this world seemed to Tokihira.

"Be aware that you will also have hit points, or HP. If you are attacked without any pokemon, you will die. You will lose some money and some items as well as some experience points, or exp. All of that information is available on your main menu."

"Wait… I will lose exp? Not my pokemon? How? And why do I need exp?" Tokihira asked curiously.

"Because unlike the other games which are based upon third person RPG, this one is first person. You are the actual trainer. So, you will need to fight alongside your pokemon in battle. The stronger you are, the stronger they can become. You will have to train with your pokemon to make them stronger and, just maybe, if you form well enough bonds you will be able to learn from them too. So you will need to increase your strength, agility, endurance, and discipline and that will allow them to increase as well."

Tokihira was stunned with the in depth development of the game. He has never played a game like that and the task seemed a little daunting.

"It's ok son. I believe in you. You will always have a home to come back to here and anything you need I can help you with too." The mother NPC said as she gave a warm embrace to Tokihira.

_This game just gets weirder and weirder huh… _Tokihira thought to himself. Yet, somehow the expansive gameplay options just made Tokihira more determined.

"Okay! I think I'm ready to get my first pokemon." Tokihira said with determination.

"Remember to pick a good one. Try to feel a bond. This first pokemon will probably be your best friend throughout the game. And after that, you can head straight back here or visit the starting village of Pallet Town. That's where a lot of players will first meet, but not all of them. Players are scattered across the entire pokemon planet in different starting zones, such as the region of Kanto which you are in, Johto, Sinnoh, Hoenn, Unova, and Kalos. You will get to visit all of them eventually so don't worry."

Tokihira hoped that Mei and Angel were also in the same region. He then said bye to both the professor and his NPC mom and headed out to catch his first pokemon.

The landscape was so beautiful outside. Mountains scaled in the background, the peaks hidden by clouds of pure white. There was forest a little further off in the distance, but in front of him was a beautiful green meadow with waving grass as it flowed and ebbed in the gentle breeze of the wind. Tokihira could see birds flying bye in the pure summer blue sky with the sun high over head. Puffy white clouds were scattered throughout the sky casting blotches of shade around the meadow.

Tokihira could feel the warmth of the sun on his face. He took a deep breath of the fresh air and set out into the meadow to catch his first pokemon.

The grass quickly grew up to his knees and even to his waist. The grass grew so tall and thick that he could no longer see his feet. He became worried that a pokemon would attack him without him being able to see it.

He eventually crossed the meadow without an attack and made it to the forest line. There was a dirt road that seemed to run through the middle of the forest, Tokihira guessed that it would be the road to lead to the city of Pallet Town.

About ten feet into the forest, a Beedrill assaulted Tokihira. The Beedrill came from behind Tokihira and stung him in he back of the neck. Pain shot through Tokihira as he was caught off guard.

Tokihira spun around and saw the flying insect buzzing around him. He didn't have a pokemon to defend himself so he tried to swat it, but it just stung his hand. Tokihira could see his HP was now down to below half and the green bar turned yellow. Fear ran through Tokihira's mind, if he lost now then how embarrassing that will be to explain to others.

He decided to try and outrun the Beedrill that was still circling his head waiting for another opportunity to attack. Tokihira turned and bolted towards the thicker part of the forest. Hopefully the forest would be too thick and clustered that the Beedrill wouldn't be able to fly there.

Finally, after getting stung two more times, Tokihira made it to the thick forestry and the Beedrill stopped its chase. Tokihira looked at his health bar that was now in red and dangerously close to being depleted meaning he would die. He decided to sit by one of the trees and obscure himself from vision so maybe his life can regenerate a little before continuing.

Tokihira could hear animals crawling around the forest floor searching for food and shelter. Suddenly something ruffled the bushes that Tokihira was hiding in.

"Oddish, oddish!" A tiny blue ball appeared out of the ground with a bunch of leaves on its head.

Tokihira jumped in surprise as the oddish just looked at him as if it was examining him.

"Oddish?" the little oddish cried and suddenly the bushes he was sitting in began to jump to life as all the plants stood up ad he was in a swarm of oddish. They gathered around him and kept chirping interestingly. They seemed excited to see him.

"Hey, hey! Calm down okay! What's so exciting?" Tokihira asked even though he knew it was useless.

"Oddish, oddish, oddish" they chanted in unison, until the eventually stopped and stood in silence as if listening. Suddenly they sounded very troubled and buried back underground and started to dig away leaving Tokihira completely visible.

Suddenly out of the clearing, stumble a giant round pokemon. Hidden by the shade, Tokihira couldn't make out what it was but it kept walking closer until it was towering over him. Then suddenly it stumbled and fell on the ground.

Once in the light Tokihira could see that it was a giant snorlax, and it started snoring away.

"There sure are a lot of pokemon here. I just… how am I supposed to know which one to pick. I don't want to catch just any…" Tokihira thought to himself. He walked over and petted the snorlax on the head, before continuing his journey to Pallet town.

The rest of his journey went by pretty uneventful. He watched the pokemon run and play or hunt for prey. He evaded the ones that looked dangerous or harmful to him.

After a couple hours of travel, he finally reached Pallet town but the sun was already setting by that time. After finally reaching the town, he decided to visit the Poke center, which would have an inn and probably be the best place to stay while he logged off. He was kind of troubled that he didn't manage to find a pokemon to catch but he would still have to days with the SS Starter ball.

As he walked into the room, he saw a familiar figure.

"How do you do there, Tokihira!" said the familiar face dressed in similar clothes that Tokihira was wearing. It was Angel.

"Hello Angel-san. Fancy meeting you here huh?" He said. He noticed the little Nidorina at her feet. "And you caught your first pokemon?" he added.

"Ha! I have and I see you haven't yet, have you? What's wrong? These pokemon are too tough for you?" Angel taunted and even nidorina seemed to stick its tongue out at Tokihira.

"By the way, have you seen Mei?" Angel added after laughing at seeing Tokihira's pouting face.

"No I haven't. Hopefully she started in one of the starter towns near us." Tokihira said after remembering what the professor had told him.

"What if she started in a different region all together?" Angel asked.

They both looked at each other sadly. The shy and timid Mei being stuck all by herself in the game until they could meet up or until they logout to the real world… She wouldn't find the game too entertaining then and would probably hate it and stop playing it.

"Well it is getting late. I think we should log out and find out where Mei is. What do you think?" Angel asked Tokihira.

"I agree. Let's get our room. Can we share the same room?" Tokihira asked nonchalantly.

Angel became very red. She quickly brought up her face to cover her open mouthed-shocked expression.

"W-w-what are you asking me Tokihira?" Angel asked very flustered. Her stomach felt very queasy as if butterflies were bouncing around in there. "How dare you! What kind of lady do you think I am?" she shouted.

Before Tokihira could realize his predicament, he was bombarded by a poison sting from nidorina on Angels' orders.

Angel's GamerID turned yellow and a yellow pin was put on her head. It was to notify other players that she attacked a fellow player without issuing a duel first. Because they were in a safe zone, Tokihira's health won't be lowered but Angel still gets labeled as a player threat. The yellow cursor and name will go away in 24 hours though if she refrains from attacking another player without a battle notification.

Tokihira struggled to get back up to his feet as the nurse Joy ran over to see the fuss.

"Why did you attack this man? Can't you see he is without pokemon and he is in a safe zone?" the nurse said with a disapproving look towards Angel.

"He asked me to sleep with him! That's why." Angel retaliated. Nurse Joy gasped and covered her shocked expression.

_Wow, they even act like a normal grown up would. _Tokihira thought. He was then snapped out of his thoughts when the nurse slapped him on the face.

Tokihira's eyes grew so wide from shock that Angel thought they just might fall out. Tokihira couldn't believe that the nurse just slapped him.

After recovering from the shock, he finally tried to explain himself to both of the ladies.

"It's not like that I swear!" Tokihira said, rubbing his hurt face. "We are both beginners and don't have very much money yet. So I was asking if she wanted to split a room. Not sleep together in the same bed. We live together in the real world so its not like it would be that unusual. Just sleep in the same room, that is all."

Both of the girls became less excited when he finally explained himself, understanding he meant no perversions.

"Oh I see…" the nurse said. "You're just cheap then." Angel busted out laughing that an NPC just insulted him. Tokihira's jaw dropped from the shock and then his face quickly became red from the embarrassment.

"Don't worry. I shall give you your first night free of charge because I slapped you and because you are beginners. So, you both can get your own rooms. Please take the keycards at the front desk and escort yourselves to your rooms." The nurse said before turning away and walking through the double doors that led to behind the counter.

They grabbed their cards and quickly went on their way to their room, where they both logged out.

_Real world; Tokibi's home:_

Tokibi opened his eyes and his room was covered in a slight beige tint. He quickly removed his AmuSphere from his head and exited his room.

He found Angel already waiting for him in the hallway.

"Hey" Angel greeted.

"Where you able to see Mei?" Tokibi asked.

"No, unfortunately she hasn't left her room. And I don't know her GamerID so I couldn't find her online even if I wanted to."

"Yea same here… did you check to see if she logged out yet?" Tokibi asked.

"No. She is your 'sister'. I figured you would…" Angel said sarcastically. "While you check on your sister, I'll be downstairs making tea. Would you like me to make three cups?"

"Yes please, that will be nice. I will be down shortly when Mei logs out."

"Of course you will…" Angel muttered under her breath.

"I'm sorry?" Tokibi said, not hearing exactly what Angel said.

"Oh nothing. Just hurry." And with that, Angel left downstairs.

Tokibi knocked on Mei's door as a courtesy to see if she had logged out. There was no answer. He cracked the door open slightly to see inside. The light from the room flooded the dimly lit hallway and Tokibi could see a figure lying on the bed with a helmet device on her head. Tokibi decided to proceed into the room.

As soon as Tokibi could get close, enough he could see that Mei was dressed in nothing but her eveningwear, just a bra and some underwear. Tokibi immediately blushed and turned around to not look.

_Oh god, oh god, oh god… What will Mei do if she suddenly logs out? She will have a heart attack… what will Angel do if she sees me in here with Mei like this? _

A shiver went down Tokibi's spine and an image of a tombstone with Angel standing over it laughing maniacally with a bloody katana in her right hand. The tombstone read:

**Here lies a Lecherous Perv.**

Tokibi suddenly seemed to forget how to breathe properly as he started to hyperventilate.

_Well I'm not here to be a pervert. I'm here to see if I can help Mei-kun_ Tokibi reasoned with himself.

He started feeling his way closer to the bed while covering his eyes with one hand. He was going to attempt to cover Mei with the blanket and then try to help.

_Careful… Careful! _Tokibi felt his way along the ground until he felt the bed. He stood up to his feet slowly until he reached the summit of the bed.

_Okay! Now feel for the blankets to cover Mei. _He rested his hand gently on the bed to start feeling for the blankets when suddenly he felt something soft and warm. Curiosity suddenly took hold of him, as he wanted to know what that was.

His hand was lying upon one of Mei's breast. Tokibi's face became really red as blood started to bleed from his nose.

_Move your hand Tokibi! What are you doing? _He thought to himself but his body wouldn't comply. _Move your hand Tokibi! Do you want to die? _

Suddenly a voice rang from downstairs

"Tokibi! What's taking so long?" Angel called from below.

Tokibi became startled by the voice and in his panic; he quickly got up forgetting Mei and ran downstairs.

He stumbled on one of the steps causing him to loose his balance. He landed face first onto the hard wood floors.

Angel looks from around the wall from the kitchen to see what the commotion is. She sees Tokibi laying face first on the floor at the bottom of the stairs.

"What are you doing?" Angel asks curiously.

"Umm… Nothing… " Tokibi answers quickly through his muffled voice. He looks up to see Angel. A look of worried quickly crossed Angels' face.

"Hey you're bleeding from your nose! Did you hit your face that hard?" Angel said while wetting a towel and walking over to help Tokibi up.

"Oh…. Yea… I must have landed pretty hard." Tokibi agrees. _Wow, that was close. I got lucky in the end with that fall cuz if Angel would have found out the real truth I would be a goner. _

"You should be more careful. And what happened to Mei?" Angel asked.

"Oh she was still logged in and I didn't want to disturb her or forcefully log her out, so I just let her be and she will come when she comes." Tokibi answers, not really lying but not telling the whole truth either.

The two of them sat down and enjoyed their tea while waiting for Mei.

"Tokibi…" Angel asked with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"What is it Angel-san?"

"Why… why did you let me stay with you guys…? And why is your mom so nice and acting like we are family already?" Angel said, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Because she really thinks of you as a daughter, She only had one son but she had always wanted a daughter. My mom and dad tried to have another baby after me. She became pregnant shortly after I turned 1 but she was still born. They tried again after that but was never able to. Then Mei's parent died tragically and my mom decided to adopt her so she would have at least one daughter. Then after that a accident at work caused the death of my father when I was 7. So, they never had the second kid. So she has always been willing to adopt especially if it's a girl. And also if she says something she means it, you can even ask Mei-chan." Tokibi said with a slight sinister look as if remembering grave thoughts. "She is not a force to be reckoned with either. She may seem so nice and amiable but don't you ever do something to tick her off. You will regret it"

Angel's stomach dropped as she heard the gravity in his voice.

"But that doesn't change why you guys allow me to stay here in the first place."

"Well that's because of Mei, mainly. She is very quiet and introverted. She doesn't have any friends because she talks to no one. The only person she talks to is you and then some people online in her games. She can't handle reality, I think, so she hides in her games. So, when we found out that you were a friend we eagerly wanted you around as much as possible. And it was better that you were a child of the government and- ouch"

Tokibi got a sharp jab in the ribs from Angel who seemed to be a little hurt from Tokibi's blunt comment. Angel then gave him an evil glare.

"I'm sorry… but anyway, you get paid housing and stuff so you can just move in with us easier. So why wouldn't we let you?" Tokibi finished.

Angel seemed to smile slightly but still had some confusion in her eyes.

After a brief moment of silence with the only sound coming from the quiet sipping of tea, Angel finally broke the silence.

"So how often does your mom come home?" Angel asked.

"You know you should refer to her as your mom too if she's going to adopt you." Tokibi laughed, "and she comes home after she finishes a project and gets to stay for a while but while they are developing a project then she can't home for a while. After this beta program gets released as its actual program then she will get to come home. Then we can be like a real family."

Angel smiled again. She seemed to be warming up to the environment which made Tokibi feel more at ease, so she wouldn't be fleeing in the middle of the night anymore.

Suddenly a deafening blast of thunder shook the house as the power went out. Angel and Tokibi screamed in unison and started feeling around in the darkness and muttering curse words.

Then in the silence they could here the rain start crashing down on the roof. The storm had come so suddenly that Tokibi was completely unprepared. But luckily, Angel had her phone on her. She brought up the flash light feature and quickly scanned the room.

Everything seemed to be fine and Tokibi was still sitting right in front of her.

"Tokibi…" Angel whispered.

"What is it Angel-san?" Tokibi answered just as softly.

"I'm… I'm scared. When is the power coming back?" Angel continued whispering.

"Hold on." Tokibi then got up. Angel could hear him rustling things around in the kitchen. Suddenly a loud thump was heard followed by a curse word from Tokibi. Angel could only guess that he jammed his toe into a table. Angel winced at the thought, knowing how painful that is.

Finally, Tokibi returned. Angel flashed the light on him and saw that he was holding a candle, a lighter and a small blanket. He lit the wick and set the candle on the center of the table so the dim orange light could start filling the room. He then sat down next to Angel and put the blanket around her. Angel decided to not waste the battery any longer and turned off the flashlight.

Tokibi put an arm around Angels shoulders and leaned her into his chest. Tokibi couldn't see because of the dim light but Angel was slowly starting to turn red.

"T-Tokibi-chan… Thank you." Angel whispered.

Tokibi just petted her head and smiled as they sat in silence. They sat in silence waiting and listening to the rain. It was the most romantic gesture anyone has ever done for Angel.

Angel looked up to be able to see Tokibi's face. His blue eyes were glistening in the candlelight and his medium length blonde hair was shimmering. Angel's stomach started to become knotted and her heart started beating faster.

"Are you ok, Angel?" Tokibi asked as he looked down to meet her gaze. " Your heart rate seems to be going up and your breathing rate is increasing."

"Oh really..? umm it must be because I was scared from the lightning and thunder." She reassured herself more than him. He gave her a look of curiosity and confusion. But his eyes slipped a little and from his angle of looking down on Angel, and he could see her cleavage through the deep v-cut shirt she was wearing.

Tokibi tensed his muscles and started to begin breathing heavier.

"Oh Tokibi-senpai, I'm was so scared. I'm so glad I have you here. You are so brave and strong" Angel coons while rubbing Tokibi's arm.

"No need to worry Angel-kun. I'll protect you!" Tokibi boast.

"And look how strong you are getting!" Angel exclaimed incredulously.

"Well I have been exercising a little in hopes that it will help me in my VRMMORPG gaming experience." Tokibi says smugly while flexing his arm.

"I can tell it has been doing wonders" Angel then dropped her hand from around Tokibi's arm and starts to rub his leg while sitting up higher so the her cleavage is almost in his face.

"Tobi-senpai, won't you stay here with me tonight and protect me. I will repay you with the only way I know how." Angel begged.

"I don't need a form of payment to protect a beautiful maiden such as yourself but if you are offering…"

Suddenly a slap jolted Tokibi out of his fantasies.

"Ew Tokibi. What is wrong with you? You are dripping blood from your nose and you have this really creepy smile on. So, I slapped you cuz I just know you are thinking of something perverted." Angel yelled.

"I was not. I was just being brave for a frightened girl like you." Tokibi defended hoping at least something was real.

"Ha! Yea right. You were gawking at my breast you perv." She scoffs.

Suddenly a shadow jumped along the walls halting the argument between the two. They realized that they were no longer alone.

Tokibi raised a hand to ensure Angel stays quiet. It could just be a trick of the mind in the flickering candlelight but Tokibi was sure he heard small footsteps that coincided with the shadow movement.

Suddenly a bright flash and a deafening clap of thunder filled the silence. The lightning strikes were getting closer.

Thanks to the lightning, Tokibi, just for a split second, was able to see the shadow just beyond the doorway hiding behind the wall to the living quarter as the hallway window was filled with bright white light.

Angel saw it too and she drew in a quick short gasp for air and then immediately covered her mouth with her hands as not to yell.

Tokibi signaled for Angel to get up for they were going to move to the kitchen. There were items he could use as defense but he didn't want to leave Angel alone in the living room.

They quietly got up and started creeping backwards towards the kitchen, while keeping an eye on the doorway to the living room.

_I'm so glad that there is no other way into the living room other than that entrance, the only thing that hallway leads to is the stairs. _Tokibi thought to himself. Suddenly his heart sank.

_The stairs!_

"Dammit Angel the stairs!" Tokibi yelled.

Angel was shocked by the sudden yell from Tokibi and was confused by what he meant then suddenly her jaw fell open and her heart sank.

"Oh no… Mei…" Angel whispered.

Tokibi forgot all about his weapon for self-defense or even his light source so he could see. He just had to make sure that Mei was ok.

He ran past the arc way into the hallway and took a quick glance around. He couldn't see anyone, but then again he couldn't really see.

He raced as fast as he could up the stairs and felt his way along the walls counting for the third door to his right. He felt the indent in the wall for the first door.

_Closet_

He thought to himself counting off the doors. The second one came quickly as he was sprinting down the hallway not caring if he rams into something. The second crease for the door zipped by as he felt the cool metallic knob protruding from the wood door.

_Bathroom_

One left to go. He kept his hand firm against the wall waiting for the third opening to come. Pushing half of his weight against the wall so as to not miss anything, he continued running. His eyes were taking far too long to adjust to the lightless situation so he was still blind. Suddenly there was a gap in the wall. Where the door should have been was not there.

Tokibi fell right through the gap since he was putting a lot of his weight against that hand.

_I had closed this before I left… I know I did._

Tokibi became really worried. He felt along the floor searching for the bed. He didn't come into Mei's room often seeing as though that would be an invasion of privacy and she was already shy enough as it was, so he had very little idea of the layout of the room.

Finally he found one of the legs for the bed. He climbed up hoping that his hand would lay upon Mei's breast one more time, though not for perverted reasons but just to know that she was there. He will gladly chop off his hand afterward to never be able to do that again, that's how badly he was wishing she were still there.

Tokibi continued patting higher and higher on the bed until he finally touched the soft feathery texture of the pillows. She was gone.

"Noooooo!" Tokibi screamed. "Mei! Where are you?"

Suddenly Tokibi heard footsteps running up the stairs so he turned around to face the sound of the person approaching.

"Mei?" Tokibi exclaimed hopefully. A bright light turned the corner immediately blinding him and not being able to see the person holding the light.

"Mei? Is that you? It's me… I can't see anything." Tokibi yelled while attempting to cover the flood of light that was blinding his vision.

The light continued to edge forward. Finally, the light moved down and Tokibi was able to see the person. It was Angel.

"Did you find Mei?" Tokibi asked.

"No, she's not in here?" Angel answered.

Suddenly a flash of lighting illuminated the room and Angel could see it was empty. The bed was messy and all that was lying on it was Mei's AmuSphere. Tokibi brought his face to cover his hands and started to sob.

Suddenly something rustled in the hallway, Tokibi looked up quickly and stared intently to the dark hallway waiting for another sound. Then he heard soft footsteps heading down the stairs. He bolted to the door and quickly descended the stairs. He heard a high-pitched squeak and the footsteps started to run as well.

Tokibi ran faster trying to catch the intruder. Angel followed behind Tokibi. He heard the mysterious figure head to the kitchen area and bumping around from some tables he managed to find his way there.

Another loud clap of thunder and bright light from the lightning illuminated the room. Tokibi could see a pale figure with a long white shirt running from him. Tokibi slowed down slightly as the light vanished and couldn't figure out what he saw. Was it a ghost? He picked up his pace again as he saw the vague shadowy figure turn the corner. He quickly pursued and managed to tackle whatever it was. He hit solid flesh and a scuffle later he was sitting on top of the figure. It definitely wasn't a ghost.

Tokibi raised his fist and shouted in a threatening voice

"Where is Mei? What have you done with her?"

The person didn't respond. Tokibi launched his fist towards the intruder but just before it collided, Angel showed up with the light and milliseconds before the fist collided with the persons face, Tokibi could see his sister staring up at him with a petrified expression. Tokibi's fist just inches from her face.

"Mei?" Tokibi said startled at his sister. His fist became an open palm and he reached down with both his hands to embrace her tightly.

"Mei!" Tokibi yelled in joy. Tears started to trail down his face and slightly wetting Mei's face as they lie together cheek to cheek.

"T-T-Tokibi? What's going on?" Mei's voice was soft like holy bells ringing in Tokibi's ears.

"Yes Mei-kun. I'm here. Don't worry." Tokibi said softly to soothe Mei.

"Mei?" Mei asked confused

"What's wrong? You don't know your name?" Angel asked

Mei looked at Angel with confusion.

"No I don't know yours either…" Mei said

Tokibi looked at her confused and worried. He slowly got up and helped Mei to her feet.

"Maybe the power outage affected you momentarily while you were still logged on." Tokibi said.

"Logged on?"

"Why is it that you only remember my name?" Tokibi asked.

"I don't know. All I remember is being surrounded in darkness and then all of a sudden you came and helped me off the bed I was on and told me to come downstairs" Mei answered. "You told me your name and not to be afraid that you will be right back. That's when I heard two people run up the stairs."

Tokibi really became worried then. He then helped Mei to her room and laid her down to get rest. Angel and Tokibi returned back downstairs, and preceded to call Tokibi's mom but she never answered.

"I guess we will just try again tomorrow in the morning if Mei remains in her state of amnesia." Tokibi said. Angel nodded.

"And what now?" Angel asked.

"Well we go to sleep and hope for the best." Tokibi said.

They both headed to their rooms but didn't get much sleep. They were too confused about Mei and her story. Who was the mysterious Tokibi that helped her downstairs?

"So much for sleep." Tokibi said as he stared up at his ceiling in the dark.

**New York City 2:00am **

"Good news. The BETA test is already started. We have a full log on of fifteen thousand two hundred contestants. We are ready to move forth with the next step." Akemi said.

"What about the daughter of Kiato Tsubaki?" said the man on the other side of the phone call.

"You can call her Mei. And she is legally my daughter now so her last name will be Himura." Akemi replied.

"I told you not to get attached remember. We made plans to put her in your care for special reasons since Kiato was… uncooperative."

Akemi felt guilt in her stomach and a look of remorse appeared on her face.

"It is just respectful. That is important to us in Japan" Akemi replied.

"Very well. What is the status of Mei Himura?"

"A power outage cut our operation short but we will proceed soon."

"Very well. Kaito was cunning but we will get our information that we need."

The line then cut dead and Akemi was left listening to static.

"I'm sorry Mei." Akemi said with guilt.


End file.
